Luna Lamp
- 3 minsI always wanted to have a 3D printer. Ever since the day I got one, I have been exploring a lot of things, beginning with the printer upgrades. I am glad to share about one of the projects that started last year, But I have finally managed to complete it.
Lithophane
A Lithophane is an etched or molded artwork in very thin translucent porcelain or plastic that can be seen clearly only when backlit with a light source.
It all started off with making a lithophane out of my own photo. I am sure you might have seen one of the similar kinds at an art studio, or you might have bought one for yourself.
Printing the Lamp
This is the first and longest step and even one single mistake/misalignment can make you print it again. So before starting we must make sure that the bed is properly leveled.
The configs I used for the print are as below:
- Material: PLA
- Filament Color: White
- Speed: 100 mm/s
- Infill Density: 100%
- Layer height: 0.2mm
- Supports: No
Duration of print: ~46 Hrs (This is the longest print I have done since date)
3D Model: Moon lamp with base
Printing the pipes
For attachments of the lamp with the wall, I have used one of the existing 3D models with some customization.
The configs I used for the print are as below:
- Material: PLA
- Filament Color: Black
- Speed: 150 mm/s
- Infill Density: 20%
- Layer height: 0.2mm
- Supports: No
Duration of print: ~6.5 Hrs
3D Model (Pipe): Pipe Constructor
Customizing Lamp Base
I did some slight modifications to the socket.
- Starting with reducing the height of the socket.
- Secondly, I added a top layer/cover to create a base for the lamp screw.
- Thirdly, I added the screw for the moon lamp to fit and a deboss on the top so that the led could fit there.
- At last, I added a pass-through-hole, so that led wires can pass through the base.
The configs I used for the print are as below:
- Material: PLA
- Filament Color: Black
- Speed: 150 mm/s
- Infill Density: 20%
- Layer height: 0.2mm
- Supports: No
Duration of print: ~2 Hrs
3D Model (Base): Moon Lamp Base
Putting things together
Before hard wiring things up, I made some small changes like adding a connector between the driver and led light and a parallel connection for the 12V led driver. Next, we are only left with connecting the wires and tighten the screws.
For the Led light, I have used a 2W warm white led with a 12V Led driver. The white filament that I have used has some natural yellow tint in it, making the lamp seem more yellowish.
Where can we go from here?
It has been a year since I have printed the moon. I have been procrastinating on this project since then, thinking about some IoT-based solution with it. But for now, I have made it as a simple night lamp :D.
When I started this project I had some ideas around making it time-controlled, using a motion sensor, or integrating it with Alexa. But for now, it is more important for me to see it complete and upgrade with these solutions if required.
Angad Singh
An active, music-loving coder finds harmony in a perfect balance of movement, technology, and rhythm.